Beating the Bugs (without vaccines)
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September 27, 2009 by Alison
Filed under Articles, Health & Nutrition Articles, Podcasts
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Flu season is here, and there’s more hype than ever. With swine flu on the loose, the fear and tension rises as we anticipate how bad it may get. Pressure is on to get flu shots, but for those of us with a holistic approach, vaccines are not an option. So what do we do to beat the bugs?
Colds and influenza don’t just land on people like a game of Russian roulette. The “right” environment has to be present in order for a bug to take hold. A bug may land in the gut for up to a week before we actually “get sick”. In more cases than not, our body’s immune squad will have the bug licked before we even notice any obvious symptoms.
If our body is incapable of warding off a flu or virus in this stage (due to intestinal permeability, weak or dysregulated immune function, adrenal stress, low endocrine activity or liver weakness) we get sick and feel the notorious signs of our immune system deep at work: aches, pains, fever, runny nose, sore throat, coughing, congestion.
If we can establish the wrong environment for the bugs and the right environment to support our body’s immunity BEFORE we get sick, we’ll have a better fighting chance against the battle of the bugs. Here’s how:
Food
Good food is a must these days, and if used smartly, can be a powerful preventative against colds and flu.
1. Drink winter smoothies. Toss in spinach or other dark leafy greens. Power-pack it with high-potency “boosters” like ginger, lemongrass, cinnamon and spirulina. Coconut milk provides lauric acid, a natural anti-microbial.
Recipe: Green Ginger-Peach-Lemongrass Smoothie
2. Make broths a regular part of any meal. Sipping warm broth any time of the day during flu season replenishes needed minerals and provides nourishment for the cells.
Broth Recipes: Chicken Broth, Miso Broth, Vegetable Broth
3. Eat a cruciferous a day. These are some of the most powerful foods for reducing oxidative effects on the body and for preventing disease. Try to eat them in raw form as much as possible: Arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, collards, kale, kohlrabi, radishes (and greens), turnips, watercress.
Supplements
We don’t have to get technical by using the “latest and greatest” (and complicated) nutritional supplements. The old preventative stand-bys are still powerful. If it’s in your medicine cabinet, use it!
1. Vitamin D. Not just a “vitamin”, vitamin D is also a pre-curser to steroid hormones known to induce the ability to fight infections. It produces over 200 anti-microbial compounds, particularly a naturally occurring antibiotic. Vitamin D is one of the most deficient nutrients today, yet one of the most important for fighting disease.
The form you take is important. I use a professional brand that combines emulsified vitamin D (in the form most bio-available to the cells) with other co-factors including DHA and EPA from fish oil.
2. Adaptogens. An adaptogen is a classification of herbs that help the body prevent stress and repair the body from its negative impacts. They are known to boost or suppress adrenal function whenever one or the other is needed. Ashwagandha and holy basil are two of the best-known adaptogens.
I use a specially formulated professional-brand supplement that combines these two herbs with panax ginseng, rhodiola and others, along with digestive enzymes to help them better absorb into the cells.
3. Hydrochloric acid. The stomach is the first line of defense. When stomach acid is low, food will not break down into small enough particles, inflaming the immune system as if the food were a pathogen. Large particles in the GI tract cause “leaky gut” syndrome, where the lining gives way to real pathogens, like bacteria and viruses. Increase stomach acid with hydrochloric acid at each meal. Read more in my article, It All Starts in the Stomach.
I use a professional product that combines hydrochloric acid with betaine and digestive enzymes – the winning combination for breaking down food before it hits the stomach.
Lifestyle
Adrenal stress can make even the “healthiest” person that much more susceptible to illness in the flu season. They may be eating all the right foods and exercising, but anxiety, tension and daily stressors can neutralize any efforts as quickly as it takes to whip up a green smoothie.
1. Unwind everyday (and not with a beer and TV). Quiet time by yourself away from the responsibilities of work and family is not a selfish act. If you cannot adapt to stress, you will not have the energy needed to take care of everything else. Ideas: Journaling, meditation, tai chi, breath-work, hot baths.
2. Exercise. A non-stressful fitness regime will boost immunity naturally as well as build muscle-mass, essential for when the body does get sick. Bonus: Many gym memberships come with unlimited use of the sauna and steam room, giving you additional support for de-stressing.
3. Take a “power-down hour”. Make it a habit to power down at least 1 hour before bed by shutting down the computer, switching off the tube, turning off cell phones. You’ll have a better night’s sleep as your brain winds down from the “electrical activity” of the day.
Article References:
1. Kharrazian, Datis. Apex Energetics Nutritional Complexes Formula Information. 2009.
2. Richards, Byron J. Weekly Wellness Update Pod Cast. Sep. 23, 2009.
3. Mercola, Robert. Important Vitamin D Update. 2008.
4. Douillard, John. Life Spa. Your Daily Adaptogen. 2009.
5. Virgin, JJ. LeanZean. 2009.
